Engine



Feb. 10, 1931. H. s. THORPE 1,792,258

ENGINE Filed May 28, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Feb. 10, 1931. H. s. THORPE 1,792,258

ENGINE Filed May 28, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

H. S. THORPE Feb. 10, 1931.

ENGINE F iled May 28, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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Feb; 10, 1931. s THQRPE 1,792,258

ENGINE Filed May 28, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 10, 1931.

H. S. THORPE ENGINE Filed May 28, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 1n i{llllllllIlllllllllllllllllll v Vllll //IIIIIIIIIIIIII lllllllllllll A) i INVENTOR.

H. S. THORPE Feb. 10, 1931.

ENGINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 28, 1926 v W M M INVEN TOR.

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Patented F b. 10,1931

n it-E Rowena) s. rfionrnjor ronknn's, NEWYORK ENGINE Application and ma a 192G;1 S er'ia1 no u aztl." v F This invention consists of improvements in engines, particularly in 1nternalcombu'st1on engines of the type shown andfdesciibed in 7 closed, annular chamber," the partitions or cylinder headsbe1ng omitted, and the p1stons "on one piston body, Working opposed to the pistonson the other piston body.

Thepistons working opposed in the same chamber, the vibration ofthe engine is'great- 1y lessened. V

The tons being double acting, and the partitions or cylinder heads being omitted,

' the entire chamber is devoted to the drawing in, compression, combustion and expulsion of the fuel charges, giving the most-compact arrangement of cylinders possible.

The construction of the piston bodies and their bearings is such that the pressure of the gases between the piston bodies is utilized :0 prevent .the escape of the gases from the chamber until released by the exhaust valves. Other improvements consist in omitting the shait yoke and having each piston yoke act directly on itsoivn crank, the two cranks being spaced 180 degrees apart, so that when the explosion between any two pistons. occurs, one crank is on a dead centerbutthe other is approximately degrees to degrees be-' '49 same crank angle of revolution, thus giving opportunity for a more complete fuel charge and for a more complete expulsion of the en haust gases. H p 7 Another advantage of this type of engine not mentioned in the former application is that a long stroke ofthe'piston is obtained Withits consequent large fuel chargewhile the stroke of the crankshaft can he made practic'ally as short as desired, thus permitting a verystifi crankshaft.

Referring were drawings: a

Fig. i is an elevation at the fiywheelend orthe engine with the fi'yvvheel'reinoved.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation 'ofthe'engine. Fig. 3Fis an elevation of the other end of the engine,

an a diagram sl'i'o'vvin'g the relative movements of the cranks and pistons.

F 5 is' a perspective viewof the two piston bodies with one of the yam-Sana cranks. i -6 is] a longitudinal vertical section piigh-t iecen'ter of'the'engine;

T is a section takensulo stantially on 7 of Fig. 6 looking iii-the direction ndicated by the arrows.

Fig, 8 is ,a section taken substantially on line 88o; Fig. '6, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows. V l

19 is 'a'partial horizontal section taken through; the axis of the camshaft- Fig; 10 is a partial section taken on the line 1'0 10 of Fig. 7. I I v Fig. 11 is a partial section taken on the line 11 11ofFig. 7. r I v Fig. 1 2 is a partial section taken on the line 12' 12 arm-g, 1. v

Fig, 13 is a p'artialise'ction taken on' the 1111613 13 ofF1g.10.-- a i F'g. 1tha largescale partiah'dravving of r a valve stem, showing arrangement ofguide an and packing."

Fig. 15 *i a large scale drawing of-a s'ec- 'tion through a piston.

, Fig.'16 is a large scale drawing of a section taken onthe line l6'j-1'6of Fig. 15.

Fig.1? is' a large scale plan view of a piston.

Fig. 18 is a large scaledrawing of a modification of the corner const uction shown in Fig.15. "Like reference 'cha actersdenote like parts I throughout the drawi gs.

Referring to Figsf2 and 8', gine casing 1 is a cylinder forming the outer Wallet anannular chamber 2, the inner Wall of the'anniila'r chamber-being formed by the cylindrical shaped inner casing 3. The two sides-o'fthe' annular hamber 2 are formed and closed bythe fiat'ring shaped faces 4 of the piston bodies-5 and 6 (Fig. 5).

' The piston body 5 has two pistons w formed pressed between them to on its face 4 diametrically opposite and extending across the annular chamber 2 (Figs. 2 and 5). Likewise the piston body 6 has two similar pistons y extending across the annular chamber 2. j J i V The .back of each piston body, opposite to its face 4, is formed with flanges .9 which form bearing surfaces, the inner parts 14 of the flanges 9 forming acute angles with the faces 4 (Fig. The inner parts 14 of the flanges 9 have shoulders 15 formed on them for a purpose which will be describedlater.

The flanges 9 and their inner parts 14 are accurately machinedtofit and work in bearings 17 and 18 which extend circumferentiah ly around the engine; the bearings 17 having large cylindrical flanges 19; formed on them,

each flange 19 having cross straps 20 and 81 extending across its end to which the end cover plates 21 are fastenedwith machine screws 116. The flanges 19 also have lugs 118 formed onthem with holes 129 for bolthead machine screws 27, the screws being kept from loosening by drilling a small hole at each end of the screw slot 28 into the flange 26 and inserting a small piece of spring wire 29 15). V

The bearings 17 and 18 each have a shoulder 30 formed on them which with the shoulders 15 form pockets 31 which extend completely around the piston bodies 5 and 6.

The inner parts 14 of-the flanges 9 wear themselves into a perfect fit in the bearings 17 and 18 and the pressure of;the;gases be tween the faces 4 of the two piston'bodies 5 and 6 prevent leakage-ofthe gasespast the piston bodies. 1 4;

Leakage'of the gasespast the pistons is prevented by straight packing-strips 32. and angular packing strips 33 (Figs. 15, '16 and 17), the latter at the outer corners of the piston, The packing strips are pressed into thecorners and against the waillsof the annular chamber 2 by springs34 as shown in Fig. 15. The packing strips are preventedfrom flying out of the pistons when removing the piston bodies by pins'35 passing across the piston through elongated holes 36 inxthe packing strips. l j i 5 I" In Fig. 18 isshown amodificationin-the construction of theflanges 14' and the bearings 17. As shown in Fig. "18 the positions of the shoulders 15 on the flanges 14 and the two exhaust Yalves 77.

shoulders 30 on the bearings 17 are inter-' changed and instead of acute angled corners at the edges of the faces .4, short square cor-- ners are used, any minute spaces occurring between the short surfaces 69 and the corresponding bearing surfaces being taken up by carbon deposits and sealing them against escape of the gases past the pistons.

Extending diametrically across the back of each pistonbody is a yoke 37 fitting between lugs 38 formed on theflanges 9 and fastened thereto by countersunk head machine screws 39. (Figs. 5, 6 and 7.) The lower parts of each yoke have slots 40 machined in them in w 11011 work a Claytons sliding journal boX consisting of two tapered Babbitted blocks 41 fitting around each crankpin 42, and two tapered gibs 43 which slide in the slots 40 and which can be adjusted to take up wear by means of the studs 44 which are screwed and pinned into the blocks 41 passing through flanges 45 on the gibs 43 to take the nuts 46.

The nuts 46 are locked by cotter pins 47 The crankpins 42 and counterbalance weight-s48 form part of the crankshaft 49 extending longitudinally through the center plane of the engine below the axis of the piston bodies. Thecrankshaft is journalled in the center bearing 50 carriedv on webs 51 formed on the inner casing 3 and in the bearings 52 formed at each end of the engine on the cross straps 20. Each bearing 52 is fitted withpaeking 53 in the stuffing box 54 locked by the nut 55. (Fig. 6.)

. A gear 56 is keyed to the crankshaft 49 by the key 57 and meshes with a gear 58 which turns the gears 59 of an oil pump. The gear 56 also meshes with the gear 60 of double its diameter pinned to the camshaft 61 by the pin .62.

' The car, 60 turns the gear 63 by mea ns of j the intermediate gear 64. The gear 63 is pinned to the magneto shaft 65 by the pin 66. The magneto (not shown) can be fastened to the bracket 67. which is bolted to the strap 20 by machine bolts 68. I

The cam shaft 61 is journaledcoaxialwith the piston bodies in a center bearing car- 7 ried on w'ebs'119 extending across the inner casing3, and in the bearings71 at each end of the engine formed at the junction of the cross straps 20 and81. .An exhaust valve cam 72 and an inlet valve cam 73 are pinned to the cam shaft 61 by pins 7 4 at opposite ends of the center bearing 70.

7 As shown 1I1 Figs. '8 and plugs 75 are screwed into the outer casing 1,

midway between the horizontal'and vertical planes-passing through the-axis of the piston Opposite each spark plug and seated in the inner casing 3 are twoinlet valves 76 and (Figs. 7, 8 and 13.)

Each pair of inlet valves 76 admit gas from an inlet manifold 7 8, there being two inlet 10, four spark manifolds 78 formed on the inner side of the inner casing 3, each manifold supplying of exhaust valves. A pipe 86 two pairs of inlet valves. '21 pipe screwed into each manifold 78 (Fig. .9) passes through packing ring .80 in the cross strap 81 and is joined to the cross pipe-82 by the flanged;

union 83. The cross pipe 82 is fitted \vitha flange 8 t-o-Whi'ch' is bolted a carburetor (not shown).

In like mannere'ach pair of exhaust Valves 77 admit egihaust to an exhaust manifold 85, there being two exhaust manifolds formed (in-the inner side of the inner casing 3 parallel to theinlet manifolds, each exhaust manifold taking exhaust gases fromtwopa11)'-s (Fig. 7' screwed into each manifold 85 passes through a' ackingring 871(Fig1 2) in the cross strap 81 and is joined to a pipe 88 by. a. flanged union 89. The pipes 88 discharge the exhaust gases to the atmosphere or to a, muffler (not shown).

Thevalve stems 90'pass through guides 91 formed on their manifold, each guide having ametal cap 92 (Fig. 1 1) fitting over it with suitable packing 93 between thecap and the top of the guide". Each cap 9:2 has a flange 94: formed on it to form a seat for the valve spring 95. v The valve spring keeps the flange Eat seated on the manifold, the packing 9-3 being of such a thickness, thatit becomes compressed and prevents an excess quantity, of oil from Working down the valve stem.

Eachpair of inlet valves and each pair of exhaust valves has a. roller cam follower '96 (Fig. 12-) rotatably carried ona pin 104 in the valve plunger 97. The valve plungerifits over each y'alve stern 9 0 of thepair and carries anachustmg s'et'screiv98and locknut 99 for;

each valve stem. The'valve plunger 97 also fits andslides o've'r acent'ral guide rod-100 screwed into a soeket'101 in the manifold; A th rd spring 102 placed around the socket and guide rod 100 is acted upon by the, valve plunger. 7 V 5 The outer casing 1 has men or Water jacket space 103 formed in it. Instead offitting or forming the inner casing 3, the pistonbodies and the exhaust manifolds with se" arate Oll or Water ackets, I prefertocool these parts and the outer casing 1 with the lubricae'ingeil as 'fonewse The oil is pumped from ajradiator or other 1 suitable cooling device each other towards b .fuelcharge at b, drawingin afuel charge at "dead centeriw '0, the

same direction Without tance apart, them piston bodye a d G' trap. anyercessfof oil Working-past the piston'bodies, the inner and outer pockets 31 in eachpiston body being connected at the bottom by drilled-hole 107.

The pipes 108 screive'dinto lugs 109 at the bottom of the en ine connect With the bottom-of the outer poeketslil by means ot' drilled holes 110 and the oil in thepock'ets drained away to tank or other receptacle (not shown) I The pipes 1-11 screwed into lugs 112 at the bottom-of theengine and fitted 'With shut off valves 113 permit the drainage ofth'e "on in engine to the same tank or receptaclewiien (desired; The valve '115 is closed 'for'th1s operation; iVhenjthe engine is running thevalve 115 is 'openand the'valves113'closed. The drainage tank or receptacle may be fitted with a hand orsmall motor pump totransfer the oil to the cooling'device.

When-the engine is not running, the pressure of the springs in' the pistons'pressesthe piston bodies against their bearings preventing flooding of t The operation 'of-theengine is f llows, attention being particularly directed" to the diagram F igQ 1:

The lineEE represents the center line, of

the yoke attached to piston body 5- hich carries tlie-piston's'm. 1 Likewisethe line FF represents the'ce'nte'r line of-the yoke attached 1 to piston body 8 whichcarriesthepistons y.

The crank that the the line EE actsupon is denoted by X0 and the other crank by 1/0, the cranks being spaced 180 degrees apart and rotating=inthe direction indicated by the arrow V I :The combustion chambersijvvhere th'e'spark plugs are located are denoted by a 12, 0*, and (Z. The firing order is a, 5,0, (l. I i

:In the diagram the crank o is shown on,

theileft hand dead center, the crank yo is at the anglejfl beyond the right hand dead pist'ohsland y areatthe pocenter and the sitions shown vvith the-fael'charge ready to be fired at a. At theeXplosienthe pistons 00 and y move 'apart'at a, and c and approah and d; compressing a a and exhausting at d. f When the'crank a9 0 has moved't'o its'other line EE has moved to theposition denotedby the dashed line EE moved to the positions w fAt thesaine time the crank y; 0 has moved to the 'po'sition e "o,- the yoke'repre'sented by the line has moved to the position :d'enotedby the dashed line FF and the pistons 3 to'thfe'positions 3 As the cranks nowmove through the angle 0, the pistonsw anld yi move together in the changing their dis pistons moving from positions m to and the y pistons moving from yoke represented by.

and thepistons w have he annular chamber 2, the pockets 31 trapping and" draining Whatever:

ca age occurs.

yoke represented by the v .a revolution and the fuel'charge is ready to positions'g to 1 The crank y. 0 is now atthe left hand dead center and the crank mo is atthe angle 6 beyond the right hand center, the cranks'having moved through one half The movements of the w pistons from the explosion at atothe explosion at b are denoted by are arrows m, and their movements from the explosion at?) to the "explosion at 0 by the V are arrows m. Likewise the movements of the y pistons from the explosion at a to the explosion atb are denoted by the arc arrows r, and their movements from the explosion at tothe explosion at a by the are arrows 1".

From the foregoing it will be'seen that the explosions occur atregularintervals and for the unit engine described and illustrated, the explosions occur thesame as for a conventional four cylinder, 4; cycle, engine.

As one of the cranks is at an appreciable angle beyond the dead center whenever the fuel charge is fired, a much more, effective turning effort is applied to the shaft.

The pistons working. opposed to each other in the same plane and all the moving parts nular cylinder disposed around said shaft and ly lessened; V,

The plstons holding their relative furthers being easily balanced, the vibration is greatnost apart and nearest together positions wh le the cranks move through the angle 0 glve opportunity for drawing 1n a more complete fuel charge and for a more complete expulsion of the exhaust gases.

The momentum of the piston bodies acts in opposite directions and is cushioned and absorbed at every stroke by the compression occuring in one ofthe combustion chambers.

In Fig. 8 the directions of. rotation of crankshaft and camshaft aredenoted by arrows; the a chamber has been fired,5b is compressing,c is taking in fuel charge, and

p (Z is exhausting.

Although an internal combustion engine has been'particularly described, it will be understood that the engine may be made to operate on any other fluid such as :steam. Furthermore as .an internal'combustion engine the engine may be constructed to operate on the two cycle principle. p

In conclusion, therefore, although'certain specific embodiments of the invention have been particularly shown anddescribed, Ido

not intend to limit myself to this exact structure vbut wish it understood that further changes in the construction and the arrangements of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed 1n the following claims. v

What I claim and desireto secure by Letters, Patent is 1. In an engine, a closed annular cylinder.

having oscillatable side walls carrying opposed pistons, the said walls having acute angle flanges formed on their outslde faces to form bearin surfaces sun orted and oscillating in similarly shaped bearing members. V I

2., In an engine, 'a closed annular cylinder having oscillatable side walls carrying opposed pistons, thesaid walls having acute angle iflanges formed on their outside faces to form bearing surfaces supported and oscillating in similarly shaped'bearing members and having oiltraps or pockets between said flanges and their corresponding bearing surfaces.

s 3. In an engine, a closed annular cylinder having oscillatable side walls carrying opopposed oscillatable pistons therein operatively connected tosaid shaft, and inlet and exhaust poppet valves opening into said annular chamber between the opposed pistons, the said valves being seated in the inner wall of said annular cylinder and actuated by cams car ried on a cam shaftcoaxial with the annular chamber and operatively connected with said crankshaft. I V V 5. In an engine, a crankshaft, a closed annular chamber disposed around said shaft,

the side walls of the annular chamber oscillatable but non-rotating and carrying pistons, the said side walls each carrying a yoke operatively connected to a crank on said crankshaft.

6. In an engine, a crankshaft, a closed annular chamber dlsposed around said shaft,

the side walls of the annular chamber oscillatable but non-rotating and. carrying pistons extendlng across said annular chamber,

the pistons on one wall working opposed to the pistons on the other wall, the said side walls each carrying a yoke operatively connected to a crank on said crankshaft.

7 In an engine, a crankshaft, a closed an and flowing means for trapplng and draining off the oil nular chamber disposed around said shaft,

the side walls of the annular chamber oscil latable but non-rotating and carryingv opposed pistons and said walls each carrying a yoke operatively connected to a crank on said crankshaft said cranks being spaced degrees apart. v I

8. In an engine, a closed annular chamber undivided by partitions and opposed oscillatable non-rotating pistons therein, one set of pistonscarried by a member that forms one side wall of the annular chambenand the opposed set of pistons carried by a'memher that forms the other side wall of the annular chamber. a 9. In an engine, a crankshaft, a closed annular chamber disposed around said shaft, the side walls of the annular chamber oscillatable but non-rotating'and carrying pistons operativcly connected to said crankshaft.

10. In an engine, a crankshaft, a closed annular chainber disposed around saidv shaft,

the'side walls of the annular chamber oscillatable butnon-rotating carrying pistons op-.

eratively connected to said crankshaft, the said pistons on one Wall working opposed to the pistons on the other wall and packing members between said pistons and annular chamber walls.

11. In an engine, a closed annular chamber o e I undivided by partitions, the side walls OI said annular chamber oscillatable but nonrotating and carrying pistons operating in said annular chamber, said pistons being hollow and open to the crankcase and cooled by the lubricating oil filling through the crankcase.

12. 111 an cngine,.a crankcase, an annular chamberwith pistons working in it, saidpistons being hollow and open to said crankcase and cooled by the lubricating oil filling through the crankcase, and

working past the In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26thday of May, 1926'." v f HOWARD. S. THORPE.

' and flowing pistons. 

